Fandy and Stura helped the group navigate the crossing of the Khaldat river without concern. The water wasn't fast moving, and while none of them were experienced riders, the animals knew what to do better than the people riding them. Layla had flown over the river and lay on the bank on the other side enjoying the sun while the group struggled across. The river was shallow enough that the horses didn't have to swim, and while the dogs swam for a while, it didn't prove too destabilizing for the aghar. They moved into a group and established their regular patrol configuration and crossed the King's Road after a few minutes, surveying the ruins of Purstal.
It must've been a large city when it was still populated with the living, with many streets laid out in a pattern of circles, suggesting a spiraling passage to the center as a defensive measure. The rings were defined by what was left of the walls that established them. The buildings were not typical for desert settlements, because Purstal wasn't in a desert when it was a living city. Stone dwellings were what remained, crumbling, missing their roofs and upper floors, they gave a sad and forlorn impression. Sand covered everything now, though occasionally the red clay peeked through on the ground.
When Fandy examined the surface for tracks, she discovered a number of features. Skeletons had made tracks in the not too distant past, and were a prominent fixture in the city. They'd be dropping by to inquire as to the travelers' intention in short order. Mixed in with those tracks, however, were other tracks. A large number of smaller creatures. Many of whom wore boots, and scurried in a manner that suggested a preternatural fear. Fandy called Stura over to verify, but she was already certain of it: Aghar had settled in Purstal.
"Look like Anguished tracks to Fandy," she said to Stura, using the language of the gully dwarves. Stura leaned over, peering at the signs that Fandy had directed her to. Then she straightened and gave Fandy a shy sort of smile.
"Clan here. Good spot. Most folk scared by undead. Keep clear of skeletons, have good life." Stura's response was in gullytalk as well, and Fandy noticed the others were staring at them, expecting some kind of information.
"Aghar live here. Clan. But also.. many undead. Skeletons. Others further in. Need blunt weapons?" The last question directed toward Gilleana, their expert on the undead.
"If they're the weakest kind of undead, your regular weapons will serve as well. They won't do as much damage, but the monsters will be destroyed all the same." She paused, pursing her lips and took a deep breath. "Could your brethren be involved in their creation?" This question for Fandy and Stura.
"Maybe," Fandy said, trouble on her brow. "We've goods to trade. Opportunity here. Stay to eliminate undead. Trade. Move on after. No need hurt aghar?"
"As long as they aren't involved in creating these monsters, yes, there's no need to fight with the clan here."
Stura and Fandy exchanged a glance and then looked about. "Not long before skeletons come. Here regularly. Use preparation?"
Gilleana was thoughtful for a while, looking at those with her, especially Mark, the newcomer. "I want to eradicate the problem here," she said in a quiet voice, "but it'll be dangerous and not something that'll happen quickly. The surface is likely a tiny element of the real problem, which is likely hidden deep in the city. The creatures out here will need to be set to rest, but they aren't the main problem. We should use as little of our resources as possible when we deal with these initial encounters. As for you Mark.. we hired you to guard us on our way to the City of Morning Dew. I'll understand if you'd rather not be involved with the fighting here."
"I'm coming," Mark said with a grin, "but I'd like to get my hands on a more appropriate weapon. I'm guessing the gully dwarves only have stuff that's an appropriate size for themselves?"
"Depends," Fandy said with a sad smile. "Acquired items from city or others who came plunder and killed by skeletons. Must be many instances over years."
"How do you suppose the aghar survived?"
"Smell like city. Don't steal. Stay in city. Skeletons may only attack strangers come to steal." Fandy looked toward Gilleana and added, "Others hear of Purstal wealth. Come out of greed. Pay for it with life."
Gilleana nodded. "The Mayor raised them to strike back at the legions of Istar. That purpose, to expel non-citizens, may not apply to creatures that have made Purstal their home. Especially if they don't appear to be plundering. So try to not take anything from the ruins. Even the gear on the undead. It might give us the element of surprise. And yes, Fandy., if we find your brethen, we can trade. It'll be nice to head for the City of Morning Dew with a lighter load."
Further conversation on the topic was interrupted by the arrival of a large squad of those skeletons. Human in shape and size, their bones were yellowed with age, but they could still move and fight as if they were alive. They were armed with scimitars, carried a shield and didn't hesitate but headed straight toward the group. "So much for leaving us alone if we don't steal," Mark said with a grin, but recalling what Gilleana had suggested, no-one used spells. Weapons came out and battle was joined. Fandy used her warhammer and after a minute or so of fighting put it away. About twenty of the monsters had shown up in this initial foray, and they were all dispatched by the team. The two scratches suffered from strikes by the creatures were soon put straight (Stura used her own healing wand so that Gilleana's could be preserved), and they paused to examine the creature's gear.
"Rusted and pitted. These weapons and shields have been neglected. I guess the undead weren't compelled to care for their equipment." Sedgwick's tone was disapproving. He turned his regard toward Gilleana. "Where to next?"
The first morning in Purstal the team spent on the outskirts. They fought squads of skeletons every ten minutes, or so it seemed to Fandy, and she began to wonder if there was an end to their numbers. She asked Gilleana about it, after they had paused for a midday snack of trail rations.
"No, they have a limit. Every time one of these creatures is raised, it takes money and life from the one that does the raising. Purstal's fabled wealth has been turned into its unliving protection. We'll likely be here a couple of days yet – these outer skirmishes are the least powerful of the defenders. We learn nothing here, and yet need to eliminate them all the same."
"Gone round city," Stura said, pointing to the point where they entered the ruins. The group had circled the outer portion of Purstal.
"Yes," Gilleana said, her expression turning more somber. "We must proceed further within. We should also attempt to locate the aghar clan – it may be safest to spend the night in one of their safe spots in the city."
The team moved further into the city then, still circling but planning to spend some time within seeking more of the undead to eliminate. Evidence of robbers became clear, their bodies left in the streets where they fell, many of them skeletons themselves, bones bleached white in the sun, not yet yellowed with age like the defenders', and scoured by occasional sand storms. Something had taken their possessions, and Fandy assumed it was the aghar. Invaders wouldn't be protected by the undead force. That afternoon, the group battled some much larger skeletons (ogres), ghouls (undead that still had their flesh, smelled bad, and could paralyze with their touch), and a few ghasts (similar to ghouls yet more dangerous), but nothing that needed more than a few blasts from Stura's wand to resolve after the fact. The team fell into a routine of wander, investigate, discover the monsters, attack them, destroy them, repeat. The sun was sinking toward the horizon and they still hadn't seen any evidence of the aghar. However, they'd gone in another complete, albeit tighter, circuit. Gilleana called for a halt.
"These outer and middle pickets are dealt with as much as we can," she murmured, using a quiet tone as she had throughout the city, presumably to avoid inviting further attacks. "I spotted what appeared to be a temple district on the other side of the city. Since we haven't seen any of the aghar, we'll head on over there and attempt to locate a Temple of Paladine. We should be able to rest there for the night."
The team traipsed on round the city again, still mounted though Fandy had become concerned for the animals once they started to encounter the more dangerous undead. The ghasts were terrifying enough, and Fandy had dismounted to fight with them, keeping her canine out of the fighting. The group approached the temple district with caution and peered around. The area was further in toward the center than any of the places they'd been thus far and therefore more susceptible to the more powerful types of undead, but Gilleana had been confident a former temple would be the best spot to rest for the night.
Gilleana settled on one building, though Fandy thought it looked no different from any of the others. Like all buildings still standing in Purstal, it had no roof, but it contained an area that Gilleana considered the Nave. They had the animals corralled and were settling in to camp for the night when the growling noise started. Fandy, who'd been in the process of digging out some trail rations from her pack, stopped that and reached for her sword, though she didn't pull it.
"What was that?" The question on all of their minds came from Mark.
"Certain undead are powerless in sunlight. I expected they'd only appear at night." Gilleana's tone was matter of fact and calm, though she was looking about, trying to isolate the origin of the sound. She'd switched into her priestly vestments for the Opiso, the prayers at dusk, so she was garbed in her ermine trimmed silver robes, wore a jeweled circlet on her head, and had overlain it with the appropriate stole for her prayers. She gestured for everyone to be calm and then incanted and motioned to bless them all with the grace of Paladine, making them all feel more courageous. That's when the spirit appeared.
It rose up through the floor and stood next to where the altar must once have been, transparent and yet sagging with weariness, as if it were still human, for so it appeared, and had finished a long day of work. Dressed in clerical vestments, though of far less quality than Gilleana's, it bore the symbol of the silver triangle with pearl inlay. No weapons were apparent as it floated to stand beside Gilleana, his (for it was male once it became more apparent in the dim light of their torches), spectral eyes flickering over her form and her garb.
"You bear the garb of an elven priestess. Are you a worshipper of E'li?" His common was archaic and bore a strange accent, but it was comprehensible.
"I am, spirit. I see from your attire that you are dressed for Ofirno, yet the sun begins to set. Is there a tale to be told?"
The spirit appeared to sag even more, but a glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes, a strange yearning relief as if Gilleana represented something to him that he'd never expected to witness. "It's a long tale. Please, finish your Opiso, I'd love to join you in the observance. And then we must talk. I must beg a boon of you."
The spirit and Gilleana continued the prayers, and while it was clear that the spirit used a slightly different form and spoke in a different manner, his gestures and ritual were similar enough to Gilleana's, that it was the same ceremony, of some beauty and peace. Fandy sat and observed from a position nearby, munching on her trail rations. Since Gilleana had not immediately attempted to destroy this spirit, she assumed it wasn't a threat. When their religious observances were complete, the spirit was emotional. He moved and sat in a chair that wasn't there to Fandy's eyes, but that's what he appeared to be doing. Gilleana remained standing nearby, her expression gentle and attentive.
"I don't know how long ago it happened," the spirit said, his voice mournful and reflective, "but Purstal had been under siege for eight years. Istar had dispatched its Legions to chastise us in their pride and arrogance. It was my duty to tend to the congregation here. Many of our faithful were members of the militia. We'd use our blessings from Paladine to create food and water for those few we could, and suffered to live on what dried rations and water we could scrape together otherwise. A horrible time. To see the children starving. Thirsty. Begging in their stomach pain for a scrap. Mothers and fathers sacrificing themselves so their children could have their portion of the food. The Istarians levied a debt of wrath upon themselves that we in Purstal couldn't deliver. Not immediately." The spirit paused in his recounting, glancing about and his spectral eyes took in Sedgwick and then Mark, accepting their presence as part of Gilleana's company without concern. Then he peered at Stura and Fandy.
"You have two of the vermin with you? They infest the bowels of our once proud city, make a mockery of what she stood for and defile it with their filth and despicable habits." He turned a confused glare toward Gilleana.
"Forgive me, but there's no cause for censure or Bournon," Gilleana said in a gentle tone. "Fandy Zang and Stura Migan are not of those who live under the city. They are my friends and staunch allies in the fight against the undead who roam the surface." She paused and then smiled. "Come now. Continue with your story. But first, you should have our names. I am Gilleana Solarinas of House Greffayin. This is Sedgwick Halgard, and that is Mark Tramwell. Companions all on this journey, we seek only to bring those unfortunates here to peace."
The spirit shifted on his invisible chair, uncomfortable but also contrite. He bowed his head toward each of them in turn and then turned his regard back toward Gilleana. "Apologies. The vermin below probe the spectral seals, but will never penetrate them. Nor could they break the mundane seals, though there are others who might if I wasn't here to prevent it." He leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful and reflective.
"To the story then. We endured for years, believing the army of the Kingpriest to be honorable men, who'd respect the unwritten and unspoken concord that binds civilized warfare everywhere. Only those that are soldiers should be targets for an invading army." He paused, a fire of rage in his transparent orbs. "They struck down our gates, and occupied our city. That would've been insult enough, though it'd become an inevitable conclusion to the siege, but they also slew everyone.. man, woman, child, be they soldier or citizen or clergy. All were killed. I locked and barred the temple, kept a few in here with me, and vowed to minister to my congregation no matter what. Paladine heard me."
The spirit paused again, and Fandy shifted on the ground, wondering what was coming next, but she didn't have to wait for long. The delay might've been the spirit taking an incorporeal breath, and gathering his thoughts before continuing. "They broke into the temple and killed us, of course, but for some reason my spirit lingered. I floated through toward the city hall and saw the militia, many of my faithful, taking a stand against these brutes. They fought bravely, in spite of what hunger and thirst had made them, men well trained in the use of their halberds. The Istarians paid a heavy price at the steps of the city hall and when it was over, I was certain Paladine would release me unto my eternal rest, but then.. when I thought the suffering and pain and torment my parish had suffered was finally coming to an end, the mayor stood forth on the steps of city hall."
There was another pause as the spirit rallied himself for the final barrage in his story. "I never suspected. No-one in the city had and while the Towers might've sent hunters to deal with him, he'd kept his powers secret for a long time. He raised the militia as his skeletal warriors, far superior to those simple minions that wander the outskirts of Purstal, bound in duty to him in death as they were in life, to defend the city hall and the Mayor from any and all invaders. Their preservation is the cause of my own. I cannot rest, until they do. My faithful are kept here after death by the powers of this sinister and evil individual. Even after the Istarians killed him for his insolence, he used his powers to endure. He continues to exist here, as the most unholy and dangerous of all undead. He resides in the city hall, or under it I'd imagine, and continues to use his powers of necromancy and conjuration to fill the streets with the results of his vengeance. Long have the Istarians fled and yet still he presides, his wrath and evil a fuel for the spirits bound to this place. There is a name for such creatures. A label that many fear to espouse, but I must grant it voice here so that you're prepared and armed for what resides at the heart of this nightmare. He has become a lich."
Fandy was looking at Gilleana's face when this final utterance was pronounced and while she didn't recognize the term or the concept, Gilleana did: She flinched and paled. Gilleana shook her head and managed to squeak out a response: "I don't know if we're sufficient to bring it's end."
"If you can destroy the militia, it'll grant me rest, but if you do.. please go below and retrieve the relics of our faith. When I pass, the spectral seals will be lifted, but the mundane seals will still be place. You'll know how to remove them – it's part of the teachings of the faith. It may be that what you need to achieve victory against the Mayor resides within."
Gilleana straightened and then nodded to the spirit. "Might we have your name?"
"It's been so long since I used it, I've almost forgotten. I'm Father Venerable Ludano Baio." He paused again, bowing his head to Gilleana. "I know of others that came here, some with noble heart, some without. Most are dead. There is one the vermin rescued after he was paralyzed by the lich that was previously Mayor Dominic Borton. The vermin believe the paralyzed one to be dead, but he lives. He exists in that stilled state this side of death. He may have useful information about this creature's lair." He paused again and turned to look away toward the heart of the city, as if he'd heard something, but Fandy didn't hear anything.
"The Mayor dispatches minions. A pack of wraiths. He is furious over the loss of his lesser servants. They're coming. The Nave isn't consecrated. I lost the ability to maintain it when I passed. They'll defile this place and take your lives, turn you into wraiths. You've barely a minute. Prepare yourselves. I can't assist you in this, but I beg of you.. preserve the sanctity of my church."
"Come," Gilleana said, her expression turning grim, "gather together and deploy your defenses. I'll use a death ward on myself, Sedgwick and Stura, that'll prevent the effects of their evil touch from draining our health. Fandy and Mark must avoid them as best they can, I don't have enough energy to protect everyone." They moved into a clump, Fandy and Mark in the center, with the others forming a triangle around them and began their preparations. Fandy established her personal defenses first and then used a trick to detect the undead, a sense of their presence that she shared with her allies, something that she'd only recently discovered. She drew her sword and tried to focus on where the undead might be approaching. Someone had used a blessing to give everyone a courage boost, but Fandy wasn't sure who – she'd been focused on her own tricks. Everyone had done what they could, and then Fandy spotted the first of the creatures, floating through the wall opposite.
It was ill-defined in the torch-light, but Fandy suspected the light itself wasn't the issue. A shadowy figure with no distinguishing features save for two red pinpricks for eyes, it didn't walk in the manner of a living person, but floated closer to the group, pausing outside the cluster as if taunting and tempting the warriors to step forward and strike at them. Gray and ethereal, Fandy noticed the animals shied away from them, but because they were all around them, the animals had nowhere to go. It wouldn't take too much for them to start panicking. The wraiths converged on the group, coming in from all directions. The animals moved away from the wraiths as best they could, congregating at a spot near the entrance, but they didn't flee. Not yet – their training held them in the temple, at least. The spectral figure of the venerable father floated over to his altar. His disgust and distaste for the invading creatures was palpable, even from the afterlife.
Stura, warded by Gilleana's powerful protection, stepped forward to the mocking figure nearby. Her sword moved in a zig-zagging motion, faster almost than the eye could follow. Fandy was impressed – Stura had been listening when Sedgwick and Gilleana spoke about swordplay and she'd learned to incorporate elements of their styles into her own sword work and now she could move the weapon effortlessly, in a weave of injury. Even so, she didn't connect fully to the monster, because it wasn't fully there. Sparks trailed through it, however, an indication of Stura causing some damage at least. Gilleana used her medallion of faith and invoked Paladine's protection on Fandy and Mark, before incanting another protective blessing that involved the use of powdered silver and helped to protect those close to Gilleana. Her first trick, Fandy would later learn, was known as a lesser warding, and was particular to a select few of Paladine's followers. Fandy noticed how impressed the venerable father was when Gilleana used it.
Sedgwick grabbed a stick and pointed it at the figure Stura was fighting, activating it and three green glowing darts of energy shot out and collided with the creature. The magic that made them unerring on corporeal creatures, was effective when the targets were incorporeal as well. That monster dissipated and Fandy could almost hear a wail of fury as it's incorporeal form was destroyed. Fandy held the detection spell in the back of her head and deployed her trick to make everyone go faster. Mark used his own trick, but Fandy had her back to him, so couldn't see the result.
The monsters swooped in them, surrounding the group and flailing at them with their hands. The one swiping at Sedgwick missed, the accumulation of defenses adequate to prevent his being struck. Two of them swiped at mark, but they were also unlucky. Two of them flanked Stura and both connected to Stura, but the warding trick Gilleana had placed upon the aghar warrior protected her from the worst of their assault, and again, Fandy thought she could discern incorporeal wails of frustration. Four of the monsters swarmed Gilleana, identifying her as their most dangerous threat, and while they were able to hurt her, as with Stura, her warding trick sufficed to protect her from the worst of their assault.
Stura, even faster with her sword, due to Fandy's trick, and even though there were two of the evil critters flanking her, she dissipated one with an amazing piece of flamboyant sword work. Gilleana drew her own silvery sword then and started to dance about in combat, flickering the weapon through one of the many wraiths about her, lighting it up with a trail of sparks as her sword damaged it. Sedgwick dropped his stick and lifted his sword up over his head before driving it with the utmost of his strength through the shadowy beast in front of him. The trail of sparks resulted in that one discorporating as well. Noting that none of the wraiths were in a position to strike her in melee, Fandy used her trick that ensured her next attack was guided by arcane intuition and wouldn't miss, and stepped up next to Gilleana, drawing her own silvery sword in both hands. She heard Mark use a trick behind her and the dissonant wail of an incorporeal being in response.
Four of the wraiths struck at Gilleana again, but most were foiled by her defensive technique, only one of them striking her and that without full effect: Gilleana's wards were keeping them safe. Fandy couldn't see the other wraiths, but assumed they were having little luck elsewhere too. Out of the corner of her eye, Fandy saw Stura dispatch the only wraith still facing her, with another sequence of awe-inspiring slashes. Gilleana struck three times at the wraith she had focused on, and twice she failed to connect due to it's not quite there nature, but the third stroke crashed through the creature with that trails of sparks and it was enough to destroy it. Fandy could hear Sedgwick using his blue two-handed sword on a wraith. Fandy struck unerringly thrice against the wraith she'd moved into position on, causing sparks to fly three times, injuring the creature but not eliminating it. She also heard Mark using a trick behind her. By her estimate, there were only three remaining, all trying to hurt Gilleana.
The wraith Fandy had injured struck at her, but couldn't penetrate her defenses. The one fighting Gilleana hit her, however, hurting Gilleana some more, but she was still very much in the fight. Stura arrived next to Fandy and executed four precision strikes on the wraith, two of which had the tell-tale trail of sparks and caused it to disappear. Gilleana turned and slashed twice into the one that was already injured and once her sword sparked on the way through the incorporeal monster, destroying it, leaving one wraith remaining. Sedgwick paced over to the last wraith and struck at it with a mighty blow, but his sword failed to damage the incorporeal creature. Fandy stepped close and swung her sword at it three times, emitting sparks only twice. Her arcane guided intuition was exhausted. Mark fired four more of the green glowing darts at the creature, which struck and killed it. Fandy wasn't certain, but she thought there were some extra ashes on the sand after the fight.
Stura used her healing wand and brought both herself and Gilleana back to full health. Fandy was certain that if they hadn't used their magical protections before the fight, things could've concluded in a substantially different way. Ludano floated over once things had calmed down and bowed to Gilleana. He straightened up and gave her a sad sort of smile.
"You're a Warden, and I didn't recognize it. My apologies." His tone was a little more respectful now.
Gilleana laughed and shook her head, making a gesture toward Fandy and Mark. "It was the Lesser Warding, wasn't it?"
"That and your attitude, yes." Ludano looked at the others, noting the mild confusion on their expressions. "You weren't aware you were traveling with a Bright Warden of Paladine? They're very rare and very humble. I'm not surprised she didn't tell you."
Sedgwick blinked and then laughed. "It explains quite a bit, actually." He saw Fandy about ready to ask a question and lifted a hand. "Not now. Later. It should come from Gilleana." He glanced at the spot where the animals cowered, and then looked over to Ludano. "Is it safe to take the horses and dogs to the river at night, or should we give them water and feed here and wait until morning?"
Ludano shook his head. "Nothing is safe at night. You should stay here. The defeat of a pack of wraiths will convince the lesser undead to keep clear of this temple. For a while at least." Sedgwick nodded to the spectral figure and then cleaned up his weapon, returning it to the scabbard, before retrieving his wand, dropped in the activity of the melee.
"Fandy, could you please tend to the animals?" This from Gilleana, who was blushing after the exchange with Ludano about her official title. Fandy bowed her head and wandered over to where dogs and horses and a very irate Layla were waiting for some attention. Mark came over to care for Layla, who wasn't comfortable doing telepathy with Fandy yet. Fandy made sure all the animals were given water and some food and then wandered back over to where the others were taking a few bites of trail rations. Mark joined them and Gilleana held up her right hand, glancing between them all.
"Sedgwick knows what it means, but in case you were wondering.. a Bright Warden of Paladine is a follower of E'li who has been granted special powers that can be used against the undead. In effect, I'm one of Paladine's chosen few, a very special warrior that seeks out and destroys such creatures where and when necessary. But Ludano.. while he is spectral and many might call him a ghost, he's not one I'd seek to banish immediately. Rather, I consider him a friend. And as a friend, I'd seek his peaceful release, which means tending to his congregation, since he can't do so himself. That we'll see to tomorrow." She gave them all a wry smile.
"What of survivor? Rescued by aghar?" Fandy hadn't forgotten.
Ludano looked away to where a hatch was partially concealed by the sand, pointing at it with his right hand. "You'll need to venture under the city to meet the Hurk clan, and it's not something I'd recommend under the best of circumstances, let alone at night. Rest. Recuperate. Re-invigorate. You'll be my honored guests. I can show everyone the way in the morning, after you've given your animals water and nutrition."
Fandy accepted this with a nod, glanced at Gilleana who also nodded. Fandy ate some of her trail rations and then sorted out her bedroll and blankets. She gave Stura and Sedgwick the trick of seeing in the dark, and collapsed on her bedroll, pulling the blankets tight, trying not to think about shadowy figures with red eyes. She recalled their desire to scry on Sarah, but Fandy judged it best to wait until they had more information before making the attempt. Sleep was a while before it claimed her, but it was peaceful and refreshing when it arrived.
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